Erwin's Kiss
by Arden Tenjou
Summary: Levi's day starts out perfectly normally, until Erwin suddenly tells him there is no time to explain, and steals a kiss! Levi at first responds with a typical lack of good grace, but soon has to explain the rapid beating of his heart whenever Erwin comes near. When Erwin is injured outside the wall, Levi has to accept his own feelings. Albeit reluctantly. Yaoi, Erwin x Levi.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

"Kiss me," Commander Erwin Smith said suddenly.

Levi Ackerman raised one thin eyebrow in mild interest but mostly just cold displeasure. "Excuse me?"

They were standing in a hallway of one of the government offices in the inner ring they had to visit that day, and Erwin had backed him up against a wall without warning. There was a nobleman at the end of the hall, which was were Levi's eyes were when Erwin's hand found his cheek and tilted his head back slightly.

"Too late to explain. I'm sorry about this," Erwin said.

Then, before Levi could even utter his usual curses, Erwin claimed his lips in a sudden and overpowering kiss. Levi froze in shock, eyes wide open. To his disbelief, aside from the simple fact that Erwin was an amazing kisser, easily the best Levi had ever encountered, the large man's hand then crept around the small of his back and pulled his petit frame closer.

The kiss went on for what seemed like hours, but was in fact only a few seconds. In that time, Levi noticed the nobleman at the end of the hall making a face of barely concealed rage, then turning on his heel and stomping off. The disbelieving frown on Levi's face deepened, but he was simply too shocked for a time to do anything in response.

Erwin gently broke away, and glanced toward where the nobleman had been standing. "He saw, right?"

"Erwin."

"Yeah?"

"You knew this was coming."

Erwin nodded. "Go ahead."

Without a hint of remorse, Levi slammed the heel of his boot into Erwin's instep. Erwin gritted his teeth and his face was briefly a mask of pain, but to his credit he made no noise. He then sighed and stepped back, and he and Levi began walking down the corridor again.

"So? What was that about?" Levi demanded with a murderous expression.

Erwin breathed in once in thought. "Did you notice the man who just left?"

"The nobleman?"

"Mm. Lord Hesse. I, uh…I've been having some difficulty with him. I'm not sure the details would interest you, but suffice it to say, you did me a big favor just now."

The dark rage in Levi's eyes deepened. "You violate me and that's all I get for an explanation?"

To his surprise, when he glanced up at the huge blond, his face held an unusual note of uncertainty. Actually, it was more than unusual. Levi could count on one hand the number of times that Erwin Smith had ever been unsure about anything. Was it possible he was in real trouble?

At length, Erwin stopped walking and glanced down at him. Levi then had another thing to be surprised about as his own heart skipped a beat momentarily. "Well, when you put it like that, I suppose you're right. I'm…trying to avoid a marriage to the young Lady Hesse."

Levi had to recoil a bit at that. "Some poor lady wants to marry you?"

Erwin covered his mouth politely with a short laugh, then started walking again and Levi followed. "It wasn't her choice, but her father's. He's the one I need to watch out for."

"Hmph," Levi commented. "So will you be pulling a stunt like that if he turns up again?"

"Hopefully once was enough, but once again I apologize," Erwin said, solemnly.

Levi glanced skyward for a time in thought. "If not, I could always chop your balls off. That would solve both our problems."

Erwin sighed. "Nice thought, but if it's all the same, let's put that plan on the back burner for now."

Levi decided that was reasonable enough and simply kept pace with his inscrutable commanding officer for a while. At length he asked, "And you have some objection to marriage in general? Or something about her?"

"Neither, I'm afraid. It seems silly, but the truth is that my affections lie elsewhere. I'm sure my marital status is of no concern to the person in question, but still I wouldn't feel right."

Levi's eyes widened. Erwin? In love? He didn't realize as he kept up a long and persistent stare, his mouth hanging open as they walked.

Erwin sighed a little. "There's no need to be quite that surprised."

"You? In love?" Levi repeated.

"I'm afraid so."

Though it would take him a while to realize it, it was at this point that Levi's chest somehow started to feel tight. He cast his gaze on the ground, strangely not in the mood to joke anymore. "For how long?" he found himself asking.

Erwin shrugged. "A few years now."

"Years?!" Levi nearly shouted. However at that moment another official passed by them and he hastily looked away again, lowering his volume when he next spoke. "You've been in love with the same person for _years_? Never mind, that does sound like you. But seriously, how can you love someone for years and not do anything about it?"

Erwin merely closed his eyes and shook his head slightly. "It wouldn't matter. That person is out of reach. I'm resigned to the fact, and I'm not unhappy with the current situation. As long as I don't have to swear my life to another."

The dull pain in Levi's chest was increasing the more they talked. He really didn't like the idea that Erwin had been pining over someone for so long, without even mentioning it before. Erwin's resolve was really something else. His chest panged again as he thought this.

"Moron," Levi muttered. "If everyone took marriage as seriously as you do, the human race would die out."

Erwin merely laughed again.

And for a time, that was the end of that topic. Levi didn't quite have the nerve to bring it up again. Normally he tried to be supportive of Erwin, knowing that he was probably the most valuable human being alive and didn't need any extra worries. But that usual sense of charity somehow vanished when it came to the subject of love. What was this sudden weakness in his heart?

More importantly, if Erwin had been in love with the same woman for years, just how did he get so good at kissing?

A few days passed after that during which Levi hardly saw his commander. That was not so unusual, Erwin often had business he dealt with alone in the inner ring, sometimes taking days at a time. And aside from the odd twinge of pain near his heart, Levi was able to keep his mind on other things.

Then a day came when the Survey Corps was called upon for a brief mission outside the wall. It was just another one of Hange's mad attempts at testing non-lethal anti-titan weapons, for live capture. A cannon of some kind it seemed, but Levi had little interest. Since it was just for testing, Erwin only assigned two other squads, excluding Levi's and Hange's. The weather was unusually good for this time of year, so they decided to capitalize on that and try and be out and back within a couple of hours.

As the gates opened, they rode out and took up their formation protecting the two carriages in the center, carrying the cannons. The testing itself proved relatively uneventful, mostly consisting of Hange freaking out with excitement when they found a titan and then getting very disappointed when she discovered a fault which prevented live capture on that occasion. They were almost finished when suddenly clouds began to roll in.

Miké Zacharius rode over at once. "Erwin. It's rain, we've got minutes."

Erwin nodded. "Prepare to retreat!" he shouted.

"Aww, I hardly got anything done!" Hange complained, currently standing in the rapidly dissolving remains of a titan they accidentally killed.

"Buntai-chō, we have to go!" said one of her subordinates, bringing over her horse.

She made a noise of disappointment, but reluctantly got on. In a few moments, all the stragglers had mounted up and the equipment was packed away. Thus, they headed back for the wall.

The rain hit them when they were still over a mile out. Hange looked to the sky with a sigh, holding out a hand to catch the droplets. "Bad timing," she muttered.

"Stay together!" Erwin bellowed over the rain and the pounding of hooves.

They were going all right, but then they came upon a blind hill. As they were cresting it, a hush came over the whole party, the kind that comes before disaster. Every person was suddenly holding their breaths and completely impervious to the sound of the rain, and at that moment, a massive head rose up from the valley below to stare at them. Some less courageous soldiers screamed at the sudden proximity. A ten meter class - aberrant from the way it was moving - was directly in their path, only a hundred feet away. It had the face of a fat, drooling little boy, and the moment it saw them, took off like a shot coming straight for them.

Erwin gritted his teeth and shouted instructions to skirt around it, but still keep as tight together as possible. They split into two uneven groups, one much smaller, to avoid it. The titan narrowly missed grabbing one of the carriage drivers, but they managed to pass him. The giant was forced to come to a stumbling halt in order to double back to pursue them. He seemed to contemplate for a moment – though of course there was little actual thought going on – before he elected to chase after the smaller group.

Unfortunately, Erwin was in it. Levi's heart lurched as Erwin and only four other soldiers were chased far off course by the freakishly fast giant boy. Levi yanked his horse's reigns and turned to follow them without thinking.

Erwin spotted him and waved him off, while still trying to outrun the titan. "No, Levi! Lead them back! We'll follow!"

Levi gritted his teeth, stopping his horse. He had never disobeyed Erwin before, but his body was screaming at him to move. As he watched, the titan easily scooped up two of the soldiers riding behind Erwin and forced them screaming into its mouth. It crunched for a moment then raced after the remaining three.

He knew Erwin was good, but there was never any guarantee. The slightest mistake and-

Suddenly, the titan swung out its arm and knocked two of the soldiers off their horses. Erwin was one of them. His body slammed into the earth, hard, and tumbled a few meters before stopping. Levi could see blood streaking rapidly down his head. He was unconscious.

The titan squatted down to pick up the other downed soldier, and that was all Levi could take. He kicked his horse's flanks and raced toward them. Right behind him was Miké, and without even discussing it, they both headed straight for its ankles, severing the Achilles tendons almost simultaneously.

The titan swayed for a moment and then toppled onto its face, crushing the legs of the soldier still in its mouth. Fortunately, the man was already dead. Levi then fired his grappling hook into the back of the monster's head, and while it struggled to rise, he let out a feral growl and sliced a huge chunk from its neck.

The creature died instantly and its head thudded back to the earth. Levi ignored his horse, though fortunately Miké thought to grab the reigns, and ran over to Erwin. He first turned him over and checked to make sure he was still breathing, then took precious moments to examine the bloody gash on his head.

The other straggler rode back. "Danchō!" he cried in panic.

"Get back to the formation!" Levi roared, causing the poor man to jump. However, he quickly obeyed.

Miké rode over with Levi's horse. "Levi, how is he?" he asked.

Levi nodded to indicate he was still alive. "His horse is dead. Help me."

The squad leader jumped down and helped Levi lift Erwin's large body onto Levi's horse. Levi jumped on behind, then kicked its flanks again and raced back toward the wall.

They managed to reach it without further incident, and Levi kept riding without stopping to get to the nearest hospital, shouting behind him at Miké to make sure he followed him. When they got there, Levi kicked the military doctor's door down while Miké carried Erwin inside. They got him into a bed, and the doctor soon told them Erwin showed no signs of a concussion, but they would have to wait until he woke to be sure.

Levi sat himself down at Erwin's bedside and refused to be moved. Miké seemed to gather that Levi wasn't his usual self, but said nothing. He merely sniffed once, then claimed he would leave the situation to Levi and return to his duties. Levi ignored him.

For hours, he sat and waited, hardly moving. Now and then he bounced his foot, or rapped a finger rapidly against his knee, all the while scowling like a demon. The nurses were very disturbed and asked several times if they should call the military police.

The sun was now starting to set, and Levi was now alone with Erwin, who still slept peacefully with a bloody bandage around his head. Levi's anxiety had been on a steady rise every moment since he saw Erwin fall, so much so that he almost felt tearful. This was so unlike him. He knew that, but it didn't change anything. The only thought in his head at that moment was that Erwin had to live. If he died, he'd fucking kill him.

Finally, with the last hint of sun still shining over the wall, Erwin's eyes fluttered open. Levi felt massive relief flood through his chest, and without thinking he grasped Erwin's shoulder, lowering his head to hide the extreme emotion that was surely showing on his face. He noticed Erwin's face turn toward him.

To his shock, a large, rough hand reached up and gently held his cheek. Levi stared at Erwin. The commander seemed a little woozy still, but he looked at Levi as if he was seeing salvation itself. His eyes were so gentle then, more so than Levi had ever seen them. He found himself enraptured by that sweet expression, unable to look away.

"Thank God," Erwin murmured softly. Then came a much bigger shock. He rose up a little from his bed, and simultaneously pulled Levi a little closer. He trapped Levi's lips in the softest of kisses. This time, Erwin's kiss was slow and searching, his touch barely more than a butterfly's but yearning with every breath. It was a kiss of love, the deepest and most sincere Levi had ever felt. Levi could hardly move, but he felt himself tearing up again, totally baffled by what was happening.

Eventually, Erwin slipped back into bed, and his eyes closed again as he returned to sleep. Levi sat motionless for many long moments. Eventually, he raised a shaking hand to touch the lips that Erwin had touched so gently. For perhaps the first time in his life, his cheeks filled with color as his heart pounded out the rhythm of another person's name.

But then, because he couldn't help himself, that gentle emotion quickly turned to frustration, then confusion, and finally his fallback option of murderous anger.

"What the fuck?!" then echoed through the hospital.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Erwin, as it turned out, did not have a concussion. The doctor said he would be back to normal after a few days' rest, though for Levi it was hard to imagine normality anymore. He had quite a shock the first morning Erwin was fully conscious.

The morning after his injury, Erwin cleared his throat and Levi gasped awake, losing the precarious posture he'd gained, sleeping in a stiff old hospital chair while propping his head on his hand. His ears flushed mildly red with irritation and embarrassment, and he hesitantly glanced up at Erwin's hospital bed. The commander was looking at him with his polite face, which said that he was holding back from saying something.

Nevertheless, Erwin soon smiled and said, "Hope I didn't worry you."

Levi stared at him. That was the first thing he had to say? After what he'd done?

"I wasn't quite myself yesterday."

_Huh?_

"I acted inappropriately."

_Wait._

"The point is, in my confusion, I'm afraid I mistook you for someone else."

Levi froze. _Uh…what?_

Erwin gave an apologetic smile. "So now it seems I've…how did you put it? Violated you, again. I'm sorry. I don't expect much of a reprieve, but if you could at least spare my balls? Not like I intend to have children, I'm just very attached to them."

Levi honestly didn't hear most of that. He was still stuck at the "mistook you for someone else" part. His thoughts then went on a bit of a rampage. _"Mistook"? Well how the hell does one do that? (Fuck his head trauma, the faker.) So what am I, a convenient replacement for someone? A stand-in? And who the fuck is "someone"?!_

"Levi?"

Levi blinked, suddenly drawn back into the present. But he still couldn't muster a reaction to what Erwin was saying. Well how the hell was he supposed to react?

For just a moment, Levi thought he saw some dark emotion cross Erwin's face. Levi was well aware that Erwin's carefully constructed façade was just that, a veil to cover the dark and barely human inner nature this man possessed. He was certainly no saint. However, it soon passed and Erwin reclaimed his commander persona.

"Would you mind giving me a briefing of the remainder of the expedition after my injury while you are here? After that I would like you to return to your duties, there is no need to stay," Erwin told him with a totally calm and unreadable expression.

Levi remained frozen where he sat for a moment. Then he shot to his feet. He stood there trembling with rage for a few moments, clenching his fists. He took a deep breath in and out.

"Two dead, no injuries," he said darkly.

Then without missing a beat, he lifted one leg high in the air and brought it down sharply on Erwin's shin under the blankets. The heel of his boot struck the bone.

Erwin restrained his reaction to this with a grimace of pain, and reached down to rub the quickly bruising flesh. By the time he looked up, Levi was out the door. Erwin watched the swinging door for a moment until it closed, leaving him in silence. His gaze slowly passed to his injured shin. He closed his eyes, the barest hint of sadness sneaking through his calm exterior. Drawing the limb slowly close to himself as if in longing, he gritted his jaw for a moment and rested his head on his knee.

Levi was fuming. He wasn't even thinking about where this rage was coming from, he just knew someone had to pay. Erwin…fucking Erwin…who did he think he was? Did he still consider Levi the gutter rat he was when they met, someone who wasn't worth serious feelings? Levi had always assumed that Erwin viewed him as an equal. Respected him. Erwin was the only person ever to look past his badly hidden scars and dark past and judge him merely on his skill and heart. But was he just using him all along? Did he have no feelings for Levi at all?

Levi stopped to kick a sizable dent in a lamp post, frightening several passing merchants. He clenched his fist and leaned against the post for a time, attempting to calm this boiling rage. And something else. He didn't quite understand it, he'd hardly ever felt this way in his life, but somehow he felt an incredible sense of…loss?

He gritted his teeth for a moment, then bit his lip. He hadn't lost Erwin. Erwin wasn't his, so how could he lose him? This thought stopped his rage in its tracks. Erwin wasn't his? What was that about…it wasn't like he wanted to own him. All of a sudden, a realization came to him that explained all his feelings. He started to shake for a different reason now, because he knew the moment the thought occurred to him that he could not avoid the truth of it.

He brought a shaking hand to cover his mouth. Slowly, he sank down to his knees on the street. For some time now, probably since soon after he joined the Survey Corps, Levi had been in love with Erwin.

However, the moment he realized his love, he also had his heart broken. Erwin loved another. So deeply and so loyally that his affections had remained constant, in respectful silence and distance, for years. That kind of devotion wasn't fair, Levi thought absently. He lost any glimmer of hope before he even tried. What the fuck was he supposed to do?

It was as their relationship was in tatters like this that the Survey Corps had to start preparing for yet another trip outside the wall. This would make the 46th. Unlike the previous one, which was merely humoring Hange's usual brilliant madness, the purpose of this one was no mystery to anyone. They had all heard it more times than they could count (though collectively only 45). Leave the walls. Explore the available region. Go to the farthest reasonable point. Return, ideally, and count up the bodies. They were slated to leave one week later, by which time the doctors said Erwin would be totally recovered. In the meantime, outside of the necessities, the two men said not one word to each other.

And so the 46th expedition outside the walls began. While they proceeded with the usual mix of efficient killing, excitement, panic, horror and death, Levi sighed as he cut down a titan who'd been moments from reaching for Erwin's party. Erwin gave him a solemn nod of thanks as he flew by, but Levi just rolled his eyes. Maybe he should start keeping a tab. Charge Erwin every time he saved his fucking ass. That might make him feel better.

He had to confess, an idea he had of throwing two blades into the eyes of an approaching titan produced a certain amount of dark pleasure. But soon after, they'd finished the skirmish and it would be back to boring riding again. That, of course…and piling up the dead. This time, the man who Levi tried to save was a young one. Too young. Levi remembered him saying he had joined the military out of admiration for Levi. For most people, that would make the idea of his death almost unbearable. But Levi had lived his life so that he would never have to regret anything. He would never forget those who died serving under him, but being weakened by sadness was the worst insult to their memory. He would accept the strength they had died to give, and keep on moving.

"Levi!" Erwin's voice rang out.

The next moment, Erwin and his squad came skidding to a stop behind Levi and his own. "We're going back," Erwin said over the panting of their horses.

Levi rolled a glare up at him. "Back?" he snarled. "We haven't gone as far as we can yet. Are you telling me my men have died today for no reason?"

Erwin shook his head without breaking his gaze, and Levi knew at once that this was serious. "Something's wrong. The titans have all abandoned the fight and started heading north for the nearest gate. Just like five years ago. Wall Rose has been attacked, they may even have broken through already. We can't delay."

Levi's jaw tightened. Beside him, Petra looked as if she wanted to help somehow, but nothing could help how he was feeling now. Mostly that was because he had never known Erwin to be wrong about something like this. At length, Levi nodded and mounted his horse without a word.

Faster than they had ever rode before, not even bothering to try to avoid any passing adversaries, the Survey Corps raced for home. They lost four more just doing this, one just because his horse went lame and no one could stop to help him. They all knew that Wall Rose was worth more than his life. They barely made it to the wall; the whole southern border was swarming with titans. For some reason, very few were distracted as they rode through. It seemed as though something inside the gaping hole in the gate was calling to them. Levi didn't understand it, but he was happy to use the opportunity to fly straight past them and start killing any that approached the breach.

Fortunately for him, he had chosen a spot to defend which was actually just inside the wall, rather than out. At the time it seemed strategically advantageous, but there was no other reason. It was a good thing though, because if not, he would have at least had to say goodbye to his horse.

Because that was the moment when Eren Jaeger, carrying a boulder half again as big as he was, closed the breach in the wall.

Levi, along with all his available companions in the flabbergasted Survey Corps, stood frozen in shock. Levi thought he was hallucinating. He thought that for precisely three seconds. Then he noticed the others staring and thought he must be losing his mind. A titan, a barely human-looking thing, like nothing he had ever seen before, had helped mankind. A titan had saved human lives. Possibly the whole human race. Had the world gone mad?

But actually, none of that mattered, because he was about to die.

The monstrous titan had collapsed as soon as it completed its task. At its nape, Levi could see a skinny blond cadet desperately trying to drag something out. No, not something. Someone. A human being. Well, well.

To the right of the spectacle however, two fifteen-meter-class titans were approaching. No one nearby was in any shape to help. They were going to die. Well. Whatever was going on here, it really didn't matter. Levi's job was the same as always. Cut 'em up.

He sliced these two up with particular enthusiasm, then turned to face the impossible cadets. "Oi, brats," he barked over his shoulder. He gestured to the decaying, monstrous body beside the boulder. "What the fuck?"

…

After that, things went in a bit of a flurry. The military police, which until now had been conveniently busy, scooped up Eren before the blood had dried on his clothes. Levi refused to leave his side for a while, this was just too fucking interesting. He and Erwin, who agreed at least about the importance of what had just happened, made sure they would be around when he woke. Unfortunately for both of them, that meant at least a few hours of standing around with nothing to do but talk.

They waited there in the central courthouse dungeon in silence, Erwin sitting just to Levi's right, for what felt like a very long time. In this arrangement, they were almost the same height. No one had offered Levi a chair, but he would have refused it anyway. Apart from the fact that he liked being able to see the top of Erwin's head once in a while, he really was in no mood for sitting.

"Good timing before," Erwin said at one point. It was a bit abrupt. They had been silent for nearly half an hour.

Levi narrowed his eyes and glanced down at him in annoyance. "What?"

Erwin paused, awkwardly looking left and right. He cleared his throat and gestured to indicate "before". "You know, arriving in the nick of time. Your being there when Eren Jaeger needed you may have saved the human race."

Levi flicked his eyes heavenward in irritation. "Like I've never done that before."

"Well, when you put it like that," Erwin replied, smirking.

Levi gritted his teeth. That was all he had to say? The captain began tapping his foot in growing irritation. Honestly, if Erwin didn't grow a pair in about five seconds, he was going to get cut.

"How are you?" Erwin asked softly.

Levi really had to consider that one for a while before he rolled a glare down at his superior. "How the fuck am I? Eat shit. How's that?"

"I see," Erwin sighed.

"Is that all?"

"Levi-"

"What?" he growled.

Erwin rubbed the back of his neck while he formed his reply. "You're still mad about before."

"Really? Tell me about that."

Erwin shook his head in exasperation. "I can only apologize. What would you like me to do?"

"Let me cut your balls off."

Erwin rubbed his face. "Something less…bloody."

"Fine." Levi glanced away in thought, considering what would be the most satisfying out of the many ways he'd long considered for getting back at the blond giant. At length, his eyes flickered down to the floor. If he were honest for once, it hurt him to even think of causing Erwin pain. Too bad. He liked hearing that half held back wince of agony when he kicked him hard.

Levi turned his gaze up again with a sigh. "All right. You can tell me who this is all about."

"What?" Erwin asked, suddenly showing a hint of panic as he gazed up at him.

"That seems fair to me. In fact that's about the least you could do, dickhead." But Levi swallowed a dull pain rising in his chest. Why had he thought to ask that? He didn't want to know who Erwin was pining over. Just thinking about it made this horrible achy feeling stab at his chest.

To his surprise, when he glanced over at the silent Erwin, he actually looked…sad? Erwin slowly turned his gaze to the floor. "That…I can't do."

Levi scoffed. "What, protecting her honor or something?"

"No."

"Then why?"

The blond sighed. "Ask me anything else."

Levi's anger started to build. "Erwin."

"I can't."

Levi gritted his teeth to hold back saying something really cruel. Eventually he huffed in irritation. What he actually said was, "She's that important to you, huh?"

Erwin closed his eyes. "Yes."

Levi turned away. This had been a stupid idea. Why had he even wanted to know? This must be some special kind of masochism. The kind that revolved exclusively around people in love poking holes in their own hearts for no practical purpose. Finally, he thought of something marginally better than pointless masochism. He pondered it for a time, chewing on his bottom lip as he considered the pros and cons of this proposition. Eventually, the pros won out.

For a moment, he turned off the one or two seldom-used pathways in his brain that led to his modesty. Then he turned to Erwin, placed a hand on the wall directly beside his head and addressed him from inches away, cocking his weight on one hip in a way he'd been told was quite sexy. His eyes focused on Erwin's lips.

"I've got it. You want to make up for violating me? Then the least you can do is kill some time with me." As he spoke, and as Erwin sat in an ever more stunned silence, Levi widened his stance and slid smoothly onto Erwin's lap. Erwin backed away in panic, but of course there was nowhere to go but the wall behind. So Levi ran his hands up Erwin's broad shoulders, noticing with satisfaction as a shiver that passed up the blond giant's body, and curled his fingers in his hair. "I don't have a fuck buddy right now. I'm guessing you don't either. Obviously something about me flips a switch in you, or we wouldn't be having these little moments, would we?"

Erwin swallowed, seeming to struggle for something to say but ultimately unsuccessful.

"To tell you the truth, there's somebody I'm pining after too. Seems like an ideal solution to me. So?"

The momentary shock faded and gradually Erwin's expression turned back to its normal, unreadable state. His cold blue eyes moved briefly from one of Levi's narrow black ones to the other. "Levi…you…feel that way about someone?"

"Sure."

"Who?"

Levi sighed, growing bored of this game. "Well that's not part of the deal." With that, he lowered one hand and spread his fingers sensuously over Erwin's chest. Erwin shivered again, though he tried to hide it. "All I want to hear is yes or no. Or we compromise and chop your balls off. Ten seconds to choose."

Erwin closed his eyes for a moment in thought, his brows slightly furrowed in what almost looked like pain. Slowly, he reached up a hand. With his large, calloused fingers, at least twice the size of Levi's delicate digits, he tenderly grasped Levi's hand as it rested on his chest. His lips parted.

"Yes," he murmured.

Levi's cheeks suddenly felt hot. Despite his extremely rash plan, he hadn't actually thought about the possibility of Erwin saying yes. His heart was pounding in his ears. The apex of his body felt on fire as he realized it was just a few layers of fabric away from Erwin's. He was fully aware that although they probably couldn't hear them, the military police guarding Eren had a perfectly good view of the two men from here. Regardless, he almost gave in to his sudden urge to claim Erwin's mouth with a fiery kiss.

But considering where they were, that would really only cause more problems. At length, though teetering on the edge of openly losing his cool, he nodded. "Hm. That's what I like to hear," was all he said. Erwin nodded in return, eyes still cast down and hand still tenderly clasped over Levi's.

The next moment, they heard noises of stirring within Eren Jaeger's cell. Levi scowled behind him. Without thinking on it a moment more, he wordlessly stood up, turned and folded his arms as if he had never left that position by Erwin's side.

"Right," he said, peering into the dark cell. "Let's get to fucking business." What he didn't add to the end of that sentence was, _so I can get his fucking clothes off._


End file.
